from Early Settlements of King Township, Ontario by Elizabeth McClure Gillham; published by the Author, 1975)
By John Colgan
Oh yes! I am fond of roast
turkey,
And chicken and goose I like
well,
But give me at supper or banquet
Good oysters just fresh from
the shell.
Just such as I ate at a
supper,
One bright chilly evening
this fall
Gotten up by the Holly Park
Drummers,
And held in their large
banquet hall.
They were cooked in the
lacteal fluid
Of a thoroughbred Jersey I’m
told,
And a caterer old in the
business
Made the tables a sight to
behold.
And the moment we heard the
bell ringing
To the tables we quickly did
glide,
Where we ate and we drank of
the grandest,
Till the inner man was
satisfied.
And even the modest young
ladies,
Dressed in silks and in
satins so fine,
To the toast of the evening
responded,
And gently sipped of their
wine.
Then after the supper was
over,
Some good parlor games we did play,
For Knights of the Grip are
the fellows
Who can pass a dull hour
away.
Than all left for home in
good humour,
But I’ve been informed that
‘twas late
When some of our sporting
young fellows,
Kissed their sweethearts
goodbye at the gate.
Now three cheers for the
Holly Park Drummers,
And success to their fast
growing trade;
May prosperity ever surround
them,
Is the wish of the Holly
Park Blade.
Holy Park – a beautiful name. One of the first settlers, Michael O’Neill brought the name with him from Ireland. Holly Park was situated in a very picturesque part of King Township, on the sixteenth sideroad, between concessions 10 and 11. The hamlet consisted of Holly Park post office, a sawmill, and neighbouring farms.
On May 25, 1814, Michael O’Neill was born in the County of Limerick, Ireland. He emigrated to Canada in 1841 with his wife, Margaret O’Halleran, and with his brother Patrick, and his wife Catherine O’Brien, and their four-year-old son John. On their arrival in King Township, the O’Neills chose the high and rolling land on the sixteenth sideroad, as they were certain it would not suffer floods. At that time, the land was covered with bush, but with determination and hard work, it became very productive.
Michael O’Neill purchased the farm on lot 15, concession 10, west half, and on the southeast corner of the sideroad and the eleventh concession, he built his home. He also owned land on the northwest corner of sideroad 16 and the tenth concession, and on this land he operated a sawmill.
Michael and Margaret had seven children, one of whom was Michael Joseph. He helped his father clear the land, but had wider interests. He entered public life at an early age, filling various positions of trust, and was elected deputy-reeve of King Township Council in 1911. He had been appointed the first postmaster at Holly Park in 1878, and conducted business in the original house for at least twenty years. He moved to Bolton, and in later life to Toronto.
Patrick O’Neill obtained land to the east of his brother’s, through to the tenth concession. Patrick and his wife Catherine had seven children, one of whom was John. In 1861 John married Mary Anne Colgan, and his father built for them a fine house. When Michael Joseph O’Neill moved to Bolton, about 1900, the post office was transferred to John’s house. He then became the second postmaster of Holly Park. As time went on, John’s son Frank and his wife Mary took over the post office duties until 1913 when rural mail delivery began.
Other early residents of the hamlet of Holly Park included J.A. Hunter, William Smith, J. Cairns, J. Watson, John Egan, and Professor Joe Smith.